Duvall Relation, But Loyalty Lies Where?
by Kali-WolfChilde
Summary: A young woman who is blood related to the Duvall's is brought to L.A. after discovering her relation to them. Where will her loyalty lie when she discovers the truth of their existence? Sexual innuendo in about half of the chapters. Some violence as well.
1. Chapter 1

_**Episode One**_

_South Carolina; Monday, __October 11, 2010__; 9:00 a.m. _

I smiled at my friends as I threw the Frisbee through the air, laughing when it nearly whacked one of our group – we were all at a party at one my friends' cousin's lake houses, and we were playing with some of her cousins – in the side of the head.

" C'mon Lee, y'gotta do better than that!" my friend Miata Taylor chided her cousin. When the cousin that owned the lakehouse threw a party, all of his family and friends and their friends were invited, so there were usually over two hundred people here every July Fourth, first Sunday in August, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve and Day, and St. Patrick's Day, and whenever her cousin threw random parties as well.

" Yeah, man, you can't let a woman beat you at a game of Frisbee!" another of Miata's cousin's joked.

" She's beaten you every New Year's Eve, St. Patrick's Day, and Christmas for the last two years, Kent," Lee retorted, and all of us in the game – ten total – laughed as Kent stuck his tongue out.

" So? I don't play well after several drinks, you know that," Kent said.

" You don't play well at all, bro!" one of Kent's friends joked, and Kent dropped the Frisbee and dove at him, the two beginning to wrestle around on the ground. The rest of us just stood around and laughed and cheered them on.

When Miata shot me a mischievous look, I nodded, and we both went and grabbed things from the porch under the back deck – she grabbed the camera, I grabbed a bucket of half-melted ice. She turned the camera on and started filming, and I grinned as I danced forward, waiting for just the right moment. Finding that moment, I tossed the ice water over the two men.

Shouting and bellowing, they leapt apart and leapt to their feet, dancing around as they tried to get the ice out of their clothes. Several of the others collapsed on the ground in loud, boisterous laughter, especially when both men pulled ice cubes out of their shorts. I was laughing so hard that tears had come to my eyes, and when Kent fixed his gaze on me, Lee's eyes going to Miata, we both stuck our tongues out, then Miata ran inside with the camera, while I grabbed two towels and tossed them to the guys.

" Seriously, guys, do you have to act like kids every gathering?" yet another cousin asked.

" Yeah!" they exclaimed together, and I snorted.

" Yo, Wolf!" someone called out, and I looked up at the deck. " Someone's on the phone for you. Some chick, says she needs to talk with you about something."

Wondering who it could be, I went up the stairs and into the house, grabbing my cell from the guy – couldn't remember his name at the moment, there really were at least two hundred people here at the moment – then heading into the bedroom I was borrowing from Miata's cousin. Closing the door, I sat on the bed.

" Hello?" I asked.

" Hello. Is this Wolf Peregrine?" a rather lovely female voice asked.

" Uh, yeah, it is," I replied. " Who is this, and how did you get my name and number?"

" I apologize if I am bothering you with this call, Ms. Peregrine, but I felt it was important that I contact you," the woman apologized.

" It won't be a bother until I find out why you're calling me," I told her.

" My family's genealogist has been doing research on distant family relatives branching out from our family tree, which began in France. He has discovered that you are the last remaining member of the Peregrine line, a line that was very powerful in France in the seventeen hundreds," the woman began.

I snorted. " Sorry, lady, but I have a hard time believing that," I said.

" Our genealogist obtained your email address. He has sent copies of your DNA matched to alleles in my own DNA, as well as the DNA of my brother," she said. Curious, I grabbed my laptop, opening my email. Using the virus filter on it – Kent was a pro at keeping viruses out of computers – I opened the last message that'd been sent today. Quickly scanning over it, I was actually surprised.

" I don't know where you came up with this, lady, but things like this can easily be faked," I said after having been silent five solid minutes.

" I assure you, Ms. Peregrine, these results are not faked," the woman told me.

" Sure, whatever. Why contact me?" I asked.

" My brother and I would like for you to come and stay with us for a while. We have a home on the West Coast, and as there are few women in what remains of our small family, we would like to get to know you," the woman said.

" You think I'm stupid or something?" I asked. " I've seen all kinds of crap like this on TV, the internet, in the papers – everywhere."

" Your friend's lawyer should be arriving about now," she said. " I will call back in half an hour."

She hung up just seconds before there was a knock on the door, and Miata poked her head in. " Nero's here to talk with you," she told me, letting her lawyer into the room, then closing the door back.

_South Carolina; Monday, __October 11, 2010__; 10:00 a.m. _

I was still sitting on the bed nearly half an hour later, and when my phone rang, I answered it without checking the I.D., something I very rarely did.

" What do you want me to come out there for?" I asked, without even saying hello.

" We want to know about your life, and to let you know about your family history, to allow you to learn about the people your ancestors were, and where part of your family comes from," she said.

I was at a loss for words, which was one of the rarest things in my life.

Finally, I got the sense to be able to speak up.

" I – I don't have a steady job right now," I told her. " I have no way to pay for my way out there, or back, or anything like that."

" We don't expect you to pay for anything," she told me. " Your ticket is waiting at your nearest airport for a flight in a few days time. Whatever you have no time to pack, we will provide."

" I – I guess I could – come," I hesitantly said. " But be warned, my friend's lawyer will know where I am, and he will be in touch with me. If you try anything funny, he won't hesitate to come after you with every legal trick in the book."

" I wouldn't dream of it," she assured me. " So, you are coming?"

" Yeah, I guess so," I said. " I'll have to pack in a hurry and have my friend's lawyer handle everything."

" Excellent. We shall have a room prepared for you. We look forward to seeing you in person," she said.

" Uh, okay. See you – Saturday," I replied, then hit the end button and closed the phone.

Sitting there for several more moments, I then got up and left the room, going back outside to where yet another Frisbee game had started up, though this time with two Frisbees going at the same time.

" Yo, what'd that chick want?" Lee asked as the game paused.

" She's – from some sort of distant branch of my family," I said. " She says I'm the last of – the Peregrine line, and wants me to come meet her and her brother, to spend some time with them."

" Where?" one of Miata's cousin's girlfriends asked.

" L.A.," I said, and eyebrows arched at that comment.

" _Chica_, you can't seriously be thinking of going," one of Miata's Latino cousins said.

" How could she not? If she's got family, even distant family, she can learn about her family history," Lee said.

" Um, apparently, my ancestors were close relatives of this lady's relatives in France. The nobility," I added, and people – even the ones that weren't playing Frisbee – started laughing and mock bowing.

" Lady Peregrine, however can we be of service to your royal self?" Kent asked with a mock bow. Giving him a look, I ran forward and dodged around him, leaping onto his back and locking an arm around his neck before beginning to give him a noogie. He yelped and tried to dislodge, and when he'd almost succeeded, I managed to get him to the ground, only to jump away from him amidst laughter from everyone that had seen what'd happened.

" This here lady is going for a swim until we eat, then I'm going swimming again, Frisbee, and then finally a shower before I start packing. Who's with me?" I asked, and cheers rang from the group as the two Frisbees were dropped, and shirts, shorts and the like were tossed to the ground.

" Last one in has to take her ladyship to the airport when she leaves!" Kent called, then darted for the water, the rest of the group – and several others, me and a laughing Miata included – right behind him.

_L.A.; Saturday, __October 16, 2010__; 11:00 a.m. _

Blinking my eyes and rubbing the sleep from them, I stood at the baggage terminal, waiting for my suitcases to reach me. When they did, I hurriedly grabbed them, then turned and started for the rest area, where I could see a lot of people with signs were waiting on passengers. Spying a guy in a suit holding a sign with my name, I made my way over to him.

A bright smile washed over his face when he saw me.

" Mademoiselle Peregrine?" he asked, and I nodded. " Such an honor to meet you, Mademoiselle."

" Um, thanks," I hesitantly said.

" I will take your bags," he said, and though I was reluctant, I allowed the guy to take all three of my suitcases – two of them the rolling variety – keeping my purse and two duffels over my shoulders as I followed the man through LAX – the place was huge! – and on outside. The heat hit me like a punch, and I winced. Noticing this, the guy in the suit smiled at me, leading me over to a limo.

" Wait, why are you putting my stuff into a limo?" I asked as he put the three suitcases into the trunk, then put my duffels in as well.

" I am to take you to where you'll be staying," he said, closing the trunk, then opening the back door of the limo.

" In a limo?" I asked, and he nodded. " Who in the world would send a limo for someone they've never met?"

" My employer is a very generous man when it comes to family, Mademoiselle," he told me. Uncertain still, I nonetheless climbed into the back of the limo, trying not to let my nervousness control me as I sat down and arranged my skirt around me on the seat.

The man climbed into the front of the limo – he wasn't the driver, I'd seen someone else already in the driver's seat – and the limo pulled away from the airport. The dark-tinted windows kept out the sun's direct, harsh rays, a fact I was thankful for as the limo began moving through the heavy L.A. traffic.

_L.A.; Saturday, __October 16, 2010__; 12:00 p.m. _

A little over an hour later, and the limo pulled to a slow stop. Opening my eyes I turned my gaze to the windows, and my eyes widened when I saw a huge two-story house outside. I blinked several times, then rubbed my eyes, blinking them open again just as the man from the airport opened my door and held out his hand to help me out.

Taking his hand, I got out of the limo, unable to take my eyes off the house as he shut the limo door, then went to grab my suitcases and duffels.

" What – why'd you bring me to a – a mansion?" I asked the guy.

" This is where you will be staying with my employer and his sister," he said, then led the way inside. Doubly unsure about what I'd gotten into now, I followed the guy, trying to hide my disbelief when I saw the elaborate decorations and furnishings inside the big room we went into.

He stopped near the center of the room, and I barely had time to remove my sunglasses before a gorgeous, dark-haired woman appeared through one of the doorways leading out of the room.

" Wolf?" she asked, and I nodded, hesitantly embracing her. " I am Coraline Duvall." She then looked at the man with my luggage. " Please take her things to her room, Aron."

" Of course," the man agreed, then moved towards the stairs.

" How was your flight?" the woman asked, and I shuddered.

" I always vowed I'd never go flying, and I dread whenever I have to go back home," I admitted.

" Was there a problem with your seating?" she asked.

" No, it was great. First Class is every bit as great as the movies show. Better even. It's just the fact that I had to fly at all, and that I had to get up so early to catch the flight. I slept over half the way here, thank God, so I'm somewhere between tired and awake. And I'm definitely hungry," I added when my stomach made an embarrassing growling noise. " I've heard too many stories about airplane food to chance trying it."

Coraline smile understandingly. " I will show you upstairs to allow you to unpack, then I will have food delivered for you," she told me, taking my arm and leading me up the stairs. I couldn't stop staring as I walked, my mind trying to process everything I saw, and with me trying to keep my mouth from gaping open like a fish's.

Stopping before a door at the end of the hall, Coraline motioned for me to go in first. I did, and had to grab hold of the doorway to keep from falling over. The bedroom I was in was at least four-hundred-square-feet in size, and was decorated in shades of different ocean colors, along with white and wood colors, the wood colors mostly being the furniture.

" Oh my God," I whispered, staring at everything.


	2. Chapter 2

WARNING: Some violence involved at the very end. R&R always appreciated.

_**Episode Two**_

" Something wrong?" Coraline asked as Aron moved past us and walked out.

I couldn't speak as I moved into the room, gently running my hands over the furniture, the drapes, the walls. " Why?" I asked, turning to face her. " Why in God's name would you set me up with such a great room like this? It's more than twice as big as any bedroom I've ever stayed in before."

" We picked the bigger of the two guest rooms on this floor because of the colors, and because it has a nice view," she told me. " It is slightly smaller than the other, but it does have its own bathroom."

It took me several moments before I could coherently form my thoughts into words. Well, almost coherent.

" You – How long are you expecting me to stay?" I wanted to know.

" For as long as you want to," Coraline simply said. I immediately had to sit down on the bed, surprised at how great it felt.

" Are you sure you're okay?" Coraline asked me, and my stomach chose that moment to rumble again, though louder.

" Except for being in shock, and being very hungry, yeah," I said, then looked up at her. " How much would it cost for some burritos and tacos to be delivered?"

She gave me a smile. " For you, it's free. I'll go call my brother to let him know. You may unpack your things and explore your room and bathroom. I'll be back in half an hour." With that, she left. Getting off the bed, I took my time pulling everything out of my duffels and suitcases, laying it out on the bed before storing the duffels and suitcases under the bed.

Heading for the bathroom first, I had to keep from falling over – the floor was simply white and gray tile, but the rest of the place was all white marble, rich cheery wood, and white-and-blue marble, with the walls being painted in ocean colors, and the lights in the ceiling being covered by gorgeous coral-shaped covers – at the sight, hurriedly setting up my toiletries.

Pausing to touch one of the towels hanging on the rack near the toilet, I shook my head, then went out to hang my clothes up in the closet – which turned out to be almost the size of the bathroom. That meant that my clothes filled up a very small section of the closet, a fact that embarrassed me a little due to how expensively decorated my room was.

Leaving the closet door open, I left the closet, going back into the bathroom. Using it, I washed my hands, then splashed some cold water on my face. Drying my face off using one of the towels – they were super soft – I took my hair down, then brushed it and put it back up in its ponytail. Giving my reflection one last look, I had just gone back into the bedroom when Coraline appeared in the doorway, a man right behind her.

The man broke out in a broad smile when he saw me.

" Wolf, this is my brother, Henri," Coraline told me. The man came forward, sweeping his arms around in a big bear hug.

" Bebe, it is good to finally meet you!" he said, then released me. " Look at you. You have inherited the fine features of your bloodline."

I blushed at that compliment.

" Er, thanks," I said, not sure what else I could say as he took a step back.

His grin was still wide as he turned back to his sister. " Her food is waiting downstairs. I will go and get her a drink and set everything out in the kitchen," he said, then playfully mussed up my hair before leaving. Blowing a few stray strands of hair out of my face, I tried to smooth what I could back down.

" He used to do that to me when we were children," Coraline told me when she noticed the look on my face.

" Yeah. I can't stand it," I told her, following her out of the room.

" I could suggest ways to get him back," she offered as we came back to the staircase.

" And with me being a guest? No way, not until I know you people better," I replied as we moved down the stairs.

_L.A.; Sunday, __October 17, 2010__; 8:00 a.m. _

Yawning, I slowly stretched my arms above my head, sitting up then rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Blinking them open, I froze for several seconds, unsure of where I was, until I remembered what'd happened, and how I'd wound up here. Yawning again, I shoved the covers away from me, padding into the bathroom.

Reemerging ten minutes later refreshed and redressed, I was reaching for the phone to call down to the kitchen to let them know I was awake – Coraline and Henri had explained yesterday that as soon as I woke up each morning I was to call the kitchen to let the cook know what I wanted; they took their meals other places, because they had to have special diets – and to let them know what I wanted, when my cell phone suddenly rang, causing me to yelp.

It rang again, so I quickly picked it up.

" So, are you settled in comfortably, your ladyship?" Kent jokingly asked; the lakehouse was his, and he'd had no problem a few weeks ago when I'd asked to come stay with him for a while. We'd had a great time of it, really, because Miata and Lee had been staying there, too, and we'd all had fun acting like a bunch of kids.

" Kiss my butt, Kent," I retorted, and he laughed.

" Seriously, though, how are you doing? Those people treat okay yesterday? They at least get you a hotel with cheap room service?" he asked, and I heard him yelp when someone – probably Miata – smacked him upside his head.

" Actually, the room service is free," I said, using the speakerphone option to talk as I began making the bed.

I hear Lee and Kent whistle.

" In L.A.? Dang, they must be loaded to afford a hotel with free room service," Lee said. This time, I heard someone pop him, and he yelped.

" Um, technically, it's not really room service," I added. " I'm staying at their house with them. I'm supposed to call down when I wake up each morning to let the cook know what I want for breakfast."

There was complete silence for a bit after that.

" Just what sort of people are they?" Miata asked.

" Henri and Coraline are super nice, and brother and sister. And I'm living with them in Henri's mansion in West L.A.," I told her. There was silence again, and then I heard them all trying to talk at once; I was probably on speakerphone. And I heard additional voices in the background, which meant that at least ten people had spent the night at Kent's.

" Mansion? Dang, Wolf!" Lee exclaimed.

" Ask her if she's sleeping in a canopy bed!" I heard someone shout.

" Tell Jorge no, but it is queen-sized, with a big comfy mattress, and Egyptian cotton sheets with a silk comforter," I told them, and there was more conversation on the other end. When there was a knock on my door, I went over to answer it, surprised to see Aron standing there with a breakfast tray of food for me.

" Hey, guys, I gotta go. Henri's guy is here at my door with breakfast," I told them.

" You gotta call back later," Miata said.

" Send pictures of the house and L.A.!" I heard Jorge shout, then heard the faint noises of someone getting wrestled to the ground.

" Seriously, _chica_, call back later. And send pics, because we all already miss you around here," Kent told me.

" Yeah, there's no one to beat him and Lee at Frisbee that's as funny as when you do!" one of the cousin's shouted.

" Later!" the rest of the group said at once, and I chuckled as I touched the end button to cut the phone off. " What's up, Aron? I thought I was supposed to call down when I was awake."

" Ms. Duvall mentioned to me last night that you might possibly enjoy scrambled eggs covered in a cheese sauce, along with bacon, so I had the cook prepare it so I could bring it up here for you," he told me.

" Aww, thanks!" I told him, stepping aside for him to come on in. He walked over to the small table in one corner, setting the tray down, then removing the plate and glass of ice water. " You didn't have to, you know. I could've easily come down and gotten it myself. Heck, if I knew how the stove and stuff works down there, I could make my own food, and your cook wouldn't have to bother."

Aron smiled softly at that. " Mr. Duvall and his sister want to make your stay here as carefree and comfortable as possible, Ms. Peregrine," he said. Smiling, I gave him a thankful hug, which made his smile widen. " After breakfast, Ms. Duvall has asked that I take you shopping for a new wardrobe."

That gave me pause. " Um, a few questions. One, why would they want to do that, and two, clothes here are way too expensive for me to buy an entire wardrobe, much less even a dress as much as some stuff costs, so how can I afford it?"

He chuckled softly. " You are already a darling addition to the family, Ms. Peregrine," he told me, making me smile. " As for the cost, it will cost you nothing. I have Ms. Duvall's permission to use both her and Mr. Duvall's credit cards to pay for anything you wish to purchase."

At that news, I gave him another grateful hug, glad when he hugged me back; I was big on giving hugs.

" Lemme eat, then I have to find something appropriate to wear. Could I call you when I'm done?" I asked him.

" I will be waiting out in the hall," he said, then left me to my breakfast.

_L.A.; Sunday, __October 17, 2010__; 3:00 p.m. _

Hours later, and I was at yet another clothing store on Rodeo Drive. This was the third one we'd been to, partly because I was reluctant to spend too much money, and had stuck to cheaper stores on other streets, and partly because I was very picky about what I wore.

Aron seemed to be highly amused at my antics of flitting from place to place, and had even joined in eating dinner with me at a lovely restaurant a few blocks from where we now were at.

" I do believe Ms. Duvall will approve of your choices, Ms. Peregrine, but perhaps you should buy some jewelry and shoes to go with your purchases," Aron suggested.

" Jewelry? One necklace costs more than I've ever made in a year!" I exclaimed in a high whisper to him, where no one else could hear.

" But you have no limit on what you can buy," he pointed out.

" Okay, but be forewarned, even a simple country girl like me has her limits on how much she can restrain herself from spending on jewelry," I told him, then made a beeline for the jewelry counter.

Another hour later, and he realized what I was talking about as he opened the trunk of the car – a gorgeous red Ferrari – and began to grab several of the more than two dozen bags in the trunk. Grinning, I grabbed a dozen bags – all contained clothes, so all were light-weight – then followed him inside and up to my room.

Setting the bags on the bed, I began removing the clothes from the bags and setting them in the right piles, using the hangers Aron had bought to begin taking them to the closet to put them up, even as he was bringing in the last batch of shoes and jewelry.

" That's the last of it," he confirmed, then removed the shoes and jewelry from the bags, laying them on the bed while piling the bags into a trash bag. " Do you need my help on anything else?"

" No, I've got it," I assured him.

" Very well. You have my number if you need me," he said, then left. Grinning happily and humming to myself, I finished putting all my clothes, shoes, and jewelry away, then used the camera I'd bought to take pictures of the closet full of clothes and shoes.

_L.A.; Monday, __October 18, 2010__; 9:00 p.m. _

I smiled at Coraline as we walked down a sidewalk in West L.A. She'd talked me into coming shopping again tonight – for electronics and the like – and since Henri had the car and was waiting on us a few blocks away, we were eager to get back to his house. Well, it was mostly me, because I wanted to watch one of the DVD's I'd just bought from a cute little café-slash-movie store.

Our conversation was interrupted when a man accidentally bumped into Coraline. He started to walk on past, stopped, then turned around to stare at her.

" Coraline?" he asked, seeming stunned. The look on her face wasn't an entirely happy one, either.

" Go on back to the car," she told me, her gaze never leaving the man.

" Who is he?" I asked her, curious.

" My ex husband," she said.

" That case, I'm not going anywhere," I told her.

" I need to talk to you," the man told Coraline, grabbing her arm.

" Get your hands off of her," I told him, my hands fisting at my sides as he started to pull her into the alley we'd stopped in front of.

" Just go on back to Henri," Coraline told me, not struggling against the grip the man had on her arm. I ignored her advice and followed her into the alley, and when the man's back was turned to me, I leapt, landing on his back and wrapping my legs around his waist, my arms around his neck.

" I told you to keep your hands offa her," I growled at the man. I could feel his shock, and then he was reaching up, grabbing my arms in a grip like a steel vise.

" Mick, don't – " Coraline started to say, but her words were too late, because the man peeled me off his back and threw me through the air. I landed roughly against the brick wall several feet away, and as I fell to the ground, a piece of jagged metal cut through the skin of my left ankle, causing me to cry out in pain. Multiple other cuts had opened up on my face and arms from the initial impact.


	3. Chapter 3

WARNING: Some violence involved at the very end. R&R always appreciated.

_**Episode Three**_

An angry growl resounded through the area, and I heard Coraline hiss something at the man, seconds before she quickly knelt down by my side. Wincing at my cut ankle, I sat up, biting back the cry of pain that that caused.

" Coraline, I'm sorry, I – " the guy started to apologize, stopping when Coraline shot him a thunderous look.

" Get out of here, Mick," she told him, using her scarf to tie around the cut to try and stop the bleeding. When I looked up, he was gone. " I'll call Henri," she told me, pulling her cell phone out and calling him. Five minutes later and he was bending over, easily picking me up and carrying me out to where the car was illegally parked right by the curb. Putting me in the back seat, he hopped in the front – Coraline got in back with me – burning rubber to get us away from there.

The ride back to the house was a silent one, and a fast one because Henri broke every speeding law there was, and when we did get back, Henri carried me upstairs.

" What happened to Ms. Peregrine?" Aron asked, having come from the library when he'd heard the tires squealing outside.

" Get the first-aid kit," Henri told him. " Fix her up. I'll ask my sister."

With that, he walked out, taking Coraline with him, and I kept my teeth clenched as I sat on my bed, allowing Aron to quickly situate a blanket under me to protect the sheets. That done, he grabbed the first-aid kit and a bowl of water and a cloth, beginning to wash the wounds, then doctoring them up for me. The cut on my ankle was still bleeding a little, so he just wrapped it tightly in thick gauze to try to get the bleeding to stop.

" Are you okay?" he asked me after returning from dumping the water in the bathroom sink.

" I guess so," I said, ignoring how the minor cuts on my face and arms hurt.

" Who did this to you?" he wanted to know, just as Henri and Coraline suddenly reappeared.

" St. John. They were on their way back to the car, he dragged Coraline into an alley to talk, Wolf followed and jumped on his back, wrapping herself around him like a monkey, and he tossed her into the wall," Henri told him. " Thank you, Aron. We'll call if we need any more help."

" Of course, Sir," he replied. " I hope you sleep well tonight, Ms. Peregrine." As soon as he was gone, Henri sat down beside me.

" Are you really okay, Wolf?" he asked me.

" Yeah, I am – well, okay, my ankle and the other cuts do hurt – but if I get ahold of that jerk, he won't be so lucky," I said.

" Really? And what would you do to him?" he asked, seeming amused.

" Three words every country boy from my state knows – steel-toed boots," I simply said, and Henri laughed at that.

" That is something I should like to see, if not for the danger it would put you in," he admitted. " From now on, I would like to ask that you always let us know where you are or are going. Aron won't always be able to take you places, nor will Coraline and I, so you will have to be diligent."

" Get me a stun gun, a knife, and a nine-millimeter gun, and I'll be okay," I assured him. He tried to stifle his laughter then.

" Such a charming country girl you are. I do believe my dear sister and I are going to have our hands full with handling you," he said.

" Yeah, and if I see that guy again, his seat's gonna be full of my foot," I retorted, and Henri couldn't hold back his laughter, while Coraline managed to only let out a small smile.

" I think you should rest now, bebe. I will bring your things up here for you," he said, then left.

Shaking my head, I slid off the bed, slowly making my way to the bathroom. After doing what I had to, I slipped into my nightshirt, then went back out into the bedroom, gladly climbing into bed and pulling the sheets up to my shoulder – after Coraline had made sure there was an extra layer of gauze around my ankle.

Henri put the electronic stuff on the desk against the wall, leaving it there and coming over to me, placing a light kiss on the top of my head.

" Good night, bebe," he told me, then left me and Coraline alone.

" I want you to know that I appreciate you trying to help me," Coraline told me, giving me a light, warm, sisterly hug, then drawing back. " It means a lot."

" No problem," I assured her, then yawned.

" I'll see you tomorrow at one for the dressmaker to come and measure you," she told me, then left.

Glad that I was alone, I snuggled further under the covers, turning the TV to what I wanted to watch. The events of the day must've been more tiring than I thought, because my eyelids started drooping, and within minutes, I was sound asleep, the sounds of _The Cosby Show_ playing in the background.

_L.A.; Monday, __October 25, 2010__; 11:00 a.m. _

" I'm not kidding, Kent," I told him as I walked down the sidewalk, my new Bluetooth ear piece clipped to my ear. " Dude seriously did toss me into the wall last week."

" Did you get any hits in at all?" he asked.

" No. I wish I'd had my steel-toed boots on. I'd have kicked him right in the shins instead of climbing on his back like a monkey," I said, using the back of my hand to scratch my nose.

" Or you'd have kicked him somewhere a little more – proverbial," Lee piped up; speakerphone again.

I smiled, though they couldn't see. " Oh, no, dear Lee, I'm saving that for you if you pull another hair-dye trick on me like you did at the St. Patrick's Day party this year," I sweetly replied, and I could hear raucous laughter on the other end of the line.

I could practically hear the smile in his voice. " But sweetie, you looked so sweet with green streaks in your hair," he said.

" And you looked equally as adorable with that green henna tattoo on your chest," I retorted.

" See, you know you already got me back," Lee said.

" Oh, but not nearly good enough," I replied, and heard more laughter.

" I'd shut up if I were you," I heard Kent say.

" If you were me, you'd have more Frisbee skills," Lee retorted.

" Seriously, guys, I gotta go, like, now. I'm supposed to go to this spa later, and I want to be a little refreshed before I get there," I told him, my words really for all of them.

" Well, the country girl done went and got her royal city self on," I heard Jorge pipe up.

" Remember July Fourth," I reminded him. He'd been picking at me about not wanting to wear the new bikini I'd bought to swim in at the lake, so I'd "accidentally" slipped an exploding dye pack into his cooler, and when he'd opened it to get a beer as he and some of the guys had been leaving to go fishing on the boat, he'd opened the cooler, the dye pack had exploded against his chest, and he'd went tumbling over backwards and into the water. The dye pack had left his chest tinted a light blue for two solid days.

" Ouch, she got you there, man," Kent said.

" Bye, Wolf," Miata chimed in. " I'll try to keep all these clowns straight."

" Good luck, and bye," I replied, touching the earpiece to end the call.

_L.A.; Monday, __October 25, 2010__; 9:00 p.m. _

I was feeling right and fit as I got out of the car back at Herni's house. I knew he and Coraline were gone, so I would have the place to myself; well, save for Aron, who was staying in one of the guest bedrooms in the basement to make sure I stayed safe tonight while Coraline and Henri were out.

I'd about made it to the front door when I saw movement in the shadows. Before I could react, the guy from last week was suddenly in front of me. I opened my mouth to scream, but he quickly clapped his hand over my mouth and dragged me off into the shadows, pinning me against the wall.

" I'll uncover your mouth if you promise to let me ask you a few questions," he said, and after glaring daggers at him, I decided to see if I could trick him, so I nodded, and he removed his hand.

" Who do you think you are that you have the right to trespass?" I demanded to know.

" I've been following you all week, looking for an opening to talk with you alone. This was the first chance I got," he said.

" You've been stalking me?" I asked, trying to keep my anger leashed. For the moment.

" Why are you staying here?" he asked me. " What are the Duvall's to you?"

" Coraline and Henri are distant relatives of mine. They contacted me two weeks ago today, with proof that they're related to me. They wanted to meet me, to get to know me and teach me about my family history, so I flew out here on the sixteenth, and I've been having fun ever since," I told him. " Well, except for your tossing me last week like I was a ball, and your trespassing and accosting me now."

" Listen, you have no idea who Coraline really is," the man told me. " She is – was – a monster. You have no clue what she did to me."

" What _she_ did to _you_? Dude, you tried to drag her into an alley to have a 'talk.' If I hadn't jumped you and you hadn't thrown me against that wall, there's no telling what you would've done," I replied with a snort.

" I'm just asking you to listen," he began again, but I was fed up with his even being here, so I let my temper loose, then kicked out with one foot, then the other. My first kick caught his left knee, the second, his right shin. And I had on my steel-toed Nike's, which caused him to let out a hiss of pain as he hobbled backwards. Straightening my top, I gave him another dark glare.

" Don't come near me again, or I'll aim somewhere else," I warned him, then hurried into the house and upstairs. Aron was coming out of the library – he seemed to like it there – as I started to go into my room, and noticed my angry face.

" What's wrong?" he asked as he stopped in the open doorway to my room.

I tried to restrain myself from cursing as I tossed my purse onto my desk.

" I want you to suggest to Henri and Coraline that they beef up security. The guy that bounced me off the wall like a rubber ball? He cornered me outside. I kicked him in the knee and the shin, and he left. He comes near me again, and I'm either going to have to use my stun gun on him, or I'm going to have to leave L.A.," I told Aron as I put away the relaxation CD I'd bought at the spa.

" Mr. and Ms. Duvall will not be pleased about that," Aron mused. " I will of course let them know when they return."

" Thanks, Aron. Now, if it's no trouble, I'd like to be alone. I need time to myself to calm down, before I have to go downstairs to the exercise room and workout on that punching bag," I told him.

" As you wish," he agreed, then left, closing the door behind himself. Having grabbed something to eat before getting back, I quickly showered, then changed into my nightshirt and turned the TV on.

_L.A.; Saturday, __October 30, 2010__; 9:00 a.m. _

I rolled my eyes and took another swing at the punching bag before me.

" I handled that creep Monday, Coraline, and he didn't hurt me like the first time. Next time I'm going to be alone, I'll have my stun gun on me, and I can just get him that way, or kick him harder," I told her.

She and Henri had been fussing over me since I'd woken up Tuesday morning and discovered that Aron had indeed told them what'd happened.

" I'm not so much worried that he might hurt you, Wolf. I'm worried one of his friends might," Coraline said. " Mick normally isn't a bad person, but he has a few – bad friends."

" Listen to my sister, bebe," Henri advised. " She's his ex. She knows, as do I."

" I swear, you two are treating me like I'm your baby sister or something," I said, doing a double-punch combo to the bag. I'd enjoyed taking full advantage of the punching bag since arriving, and had been coming down here once every two or three days since my arrival on the sixteenth.

" We are only concerned for your safety, bebe. We would be gravely hurt if you came to harm because of us inviting you here," Henri said.

I paused, then looked over at him.

" Fine, I'll agree to not go out at any time of day or night by myself without at least taking the stun gun or knife or both," I agreed.

Henri smiled. " Now, you may practice with the crossbow," he said, and I let out a happy cheer as I left the exercise room and headed for the weapons-room-slash-shooting-range-room. Grabbing up the gorgeous crossbow sitting on one of the counters in the divided stalls, I took aim, firing at the target just as Henri came inside, the bolt hit the target, but just at the outer edges, nowhere near the center.

" No, bebe, you must hold it like this," Henri said, picking up another crossbow, then demonstrating, the bolt flying straight through the very center of his target. " Now you."

_L.A.; Sunday, __October 31, 2010__; 9:00 p.m. _

I nervously fidgeted as I felt Aron help me out of the limo.

" Can I please take the blindfold off now?" I asked him. " God knows Coraline had the makeup people spend enough time on my makeup and hair and nails, and I don't want to ruin it. Plus, I hate not being able to see, y'know."

Aron chuckled, reaching up to undo the blindfold for me.

" I know on both accounts," he said as I blinked my eyes open. " Ms. Duvall said that was a long two hours."


End file.
